Earlier this month, we reported that the pilot for Marvel Studios’ upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. television series could begin shooting in January. If that’s the case, then it looks like it’s right on track, as TVLine reports that Killing Lincoln‘s Brett Dalton has joined the cast.
In the series, based on the super-secret peacekeeping group highlighted in The Avengers, Dalton will play Agent Grant Ward who the casting call for the series describes as:
Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.
With Dalton’s casting, the small screen peacekeeping team is almost complete, and looks a little something like this:
Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg): An agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who oversees many of the division’s field operations.
Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen): Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.
Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton): Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.
Agent Gemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker): These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.
If previous reports are accurate, and so far they have been, then there is only one more main character to be cast:
SKYE | This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm.
The series pilot will be directed by Joss Whedon, who also co-wrote the script with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. The three will continue to oversee the series as executive producers alongside Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.
I was a bit skeptical when I heard that the pilot would start filming in January, but with Dalton’s casting it looks like a real possibility. If there are no hiccups during production, then S.H.I.E.L.D. could become a part of ABC’s Fall 2013 lineup.
What do you think of Brett Dalton joining the series? Let us know in the comments below.
